Loose-leaf ledger.



No. 874,919. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

W. BOEHNER. LOOSE LEAF LBDGER. APPLICATION FILED AUG 29.1906

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. End flanges 9 upon the plate 5 are adapted h I h I 0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIIlLIAM BOEHNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, nSSIGNOR OF- ONE-HALF TO JACOB AHIi'BERG,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS:

LOOSE-LEAF LEDGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BOEHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cooknnd State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose -Leaf Ledgers, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of this invention is to improve the means for clamping leaves or sheets in loose-leaf ledgers and similar temporaij binders. I

Another object of the invention is the production of improved mea .s for operating the leaf-clam ing der-ices.

A furt ier object is the provision, in a loose-leaf ledger, of an automatically-operated lock for preventing the unauthorized operation of the clamping devices.

The invention also relates to the other improvements in loose-leaf ldgers hereinafter set forth.

In the uefiompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front or to plan view of the binder or back of a looseeaf ledger embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the ledger. Fig. 3 is a rear side view of the operating mechanism of the ledger. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of portion of said mechanism. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through one of the leafholding posts. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of said leaf holding post anc the rack bar associated therewith. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pawl and ratchet lock for the operating shaft.

The embodiment herein shown of my invention comprises a back 1 and the covers 2 and 3, said back containing and supporting the devices for securing the leaves in the ledger. The supporting framework of said leaf-securing means consists, in this instance, of two plates 4 and 5, the plate 4 having upturned end flanges 6, the upper edges ofwhich flanges are folded inwardly to provide guide grooves 7. Said plate 4 also has along its outer edge a longitudinal flange 8.

to fit within the end flanges 6 upon the plate 4 and to slide in the guide grooves 7. The plate 5 is provided with a longitudinal flange 10 at its outer side.

The leaf-holding devices comprise a plurality of channel pieces 11 secured to a strip 12 lying beside and riveted to the end flange 8 of the plate 4. In this instance, the chan- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 29. 1909- Serial No. 332.448.

as shown in Fig.

Patented nee. 24,19'07.

nel pieces 11 are secured to thestrip :12 by means of angular tongues;1'3, on said; channel 7 pieces extending --through =openingsfin f said I strip, said ton es and theadjacentendof the channel p1ece beingfsolderedjor"other wise fastened to thers'trip'12.%"';To' thfifplate 5 are secured posts shape'iiri crossf-sec-tion "r-head f sliding within on of h end of the pos means of a loo extending over t leaves intended provided. in'on order to permit of said sheets. theposts 14'. V I

The means 'for-g'slidin away from eachlo andthl'is'itoclamp and release the leaves t 4 er: comprises a shaft 19 rotatably; moun ed iiiybeanng lugs 20 secured to the-nnder sideilof the plate 4. The shaft 19 consists'ofa-rod which is angular in cross-section, said rodbeingm'ade cylindrical at its ends to form journals adapted to enter the bearing lugs 20. Upon said shaft are fixed two inions 21 ga pted to mesh with rack teet 22 formed upon the lower edges of the two end posts 14. The

inions 21 have openings thergalrough confbrming to the cross-sectional orm of the shaft 19, and they are fixed to said shaft by forcing them upon the angular portion thereof. Slots 23 are formed in the plate 5 beneath said rack teeth, and openmgs 24 are formed in the plate 4, through which openings the pinions 21 extend into engagement with the racks 22. One end of the shaft 19 is made angular for engagement by the key late 4. The point of one of the pawls 27 ies in advance of the other a distance equal to about one-half the width of one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 26, in order that one of said pawls may always lie directly behind one of said teeth, and thus prevent back-lash or lost motion. Springs 30 secured to the plate 4 in any suitable manner, as by means of the cleat 31 tend to hold the pawls 27 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 26. An arm 32 ivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 28 and having a portion 33 overlying the pawls 27 is adapted to withdraw said pawls from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 26, said arm extending to a point close to the angular end of the shaft 19, from which position it will, by insertion of the key 25, be moved a sufficient distance to withdraw the pawls 27 from engagement with said ratchet wheel.

The mechanism upon the rear side of the plate 4 is covered by a backing 34 attached to the rear side of said plateby means of screws passing through openings 35 in said plate into said backing. The separating movement of the flanges 8 and 10 is limited by means of stop screws 36 extending through elongated slots 37 in the plate 5 and through openings in the plate 4 into the backing 34. The attaching portions of the covers 2 and 3 are screwed or otherwise suitably secured to the flanges 8 and 10 of the plates 4 and 5.

In use, the leaves are engaged with the channel pieces 11 and the osts 14 by slipping the notched ends of sai leaves over said osts. The binder back 1 is then contracted to clamp the leaves between the flanges 8 and 10 by pressing the sides of said back to- 40'fgether, such movement not being interfered with by the pawl and ratchet lock hereinbefore described. A suitable degree of pressure upon the leaves is obtained by rotating the shaft 19 by means of the key 25. When it is desired to change the arrangement of the leaves in the ledger, the back 1 is expanded by rotating the shaft 19 by means of the key 25, the engagement of said key with said shaft moving the arm 32 a suflicient distance to withdraw the locking pawls 27 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 26. The stop screws 36 limit the expanding movement of the back 1 before the channel pieces 11 and the posts 14 become disengaged, said channel pieces and osts forming at all times continuous leaf-ho ding devices extending from side to side of the back 1.

It will be noted that this binder is relatively thin or flat. This result is obtained by lacing the leaf-holding members relative y near the plates 4 and 5, and by utilizing portions of said leaf-holding members for the o crating means.

It is obvious that the embodiment hereinbefore described may be altered in various invention are a plicable to temporary binders of various c asses.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a binder, in combination, two back members; means for moving said back members with relation to each other comprising arotatable element; a ratchet wheel arranged to move with said rotatable element; two independently movable-pawls adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, saidrotatable element bein adapted for rotation by means of a key; an an arm adapted to engage said pawls and extending to a point adjacent to said rotatable element and in position to be engaged and moved by said key.

2. In a binder, in combination, two plates each provided upon its forward side with a longitudinal side flange; leaf-holding means secured to said longitudinal side flanges; and means located upon the rear side of said plates for moving said plates toward and away from each other.

3. In a binder, in combination, two plates each provided with a longitudinal side flange upon its forward side; leaf-holding members secured to said side flanges, one of said leaf holding members'having rack teeth formed thereon; a pinion rotatably mounted upon the rear side of one of said plates, and adapted to mesh with said rack teeth; and means for rotating said pinion.

4; In a binder, in combination, two flat lates arranged to slide one upon the other; eafholding means secured to said plates upon one side thereof; and means upon the other side of said plates for moving said plates toward and away from each other.

5. In a binder, in combination, two plates arranged to slide one upon the other; leafholding members fixed with relation to said plates upon one side thereof, one of said members having rack teeth formed upon its lower side; a pinion mounted upon the rear side of one of said plates, and adapted to mesh with saidrack teeth; and means for rotating said pinion.

6. In a binder, in combination, two plates arranged to slide one upon the other; leafholding means fixed with relation to said plates upon one side thereof, one of said members extending in close proximity to one of said plates, and said plate having an opening therethrough adjacent to said leafholding member, said member having rack teeth formed upon its side adjacent to said opening; a pinion mounted upon the rear side of the other plate and adapted to mesh with said rack teeth; and means for rotating said pinion.

7. In a binder, in combination, two back members each comprising a plate having a longitudinal side flange upon its forward side; a leaf-holding post fixed to the side flange of one of said back members the lower side of said post lying close to the plate comprised in said back member; rack teeth formed upon the lower side of said leaf-holding post; a cooperating leaf-holding member fixed with relation to the other back member; a pinion carried upon the rear side of said last-mentioned back member and adapted to engage said rack teeth; and means for rotating said pinion.

8. In a binder, in combination, two back members; a leaf-holding channel piece fixed with relation to one of said back members upon its forward side; a leaf-holding post fixed with relation to the other back memto said post; rack teeth formed upon the edge of said post adjacent to said opening; a (pinion rotatably mounted upon the rear si e of the plate comprised in the other back member, said pinion being arranged to mesh with said rack teeth; and means for rotating said pinion.

WILLIAM BOEHN ER.

l/Vitnesses GEORGE L. CHINDAHL,

JACOB AHLBERG 

